High Street with Market Hall - Old Picture
Our Great Dawley
Great Dawley Town Council are so very proud of our heritage, community and landscape that we serve.
Dawley and Malinslee have a long and colourful history, reaching back almost a thousand years from its first mention in 1086 in the Domesday Book.
There are lots of ways to get involved finding out about our history; you can join many local groups in person or online, take a walk along our heritage trails or simply immerse yourself in many local reference texts available at our Dawley & Malinslee Community Library.

This thriving local centre, bustling with activity lay at the heart of several industrial communities in the area housing many families employed in the local industries.
Living and working in the High Street were hairdressers, wheelwrights, butchers, dressmakers, bootmakers, leather-cutters, grocers, maltsters, ironmongers, booksellers, several beer-houses, shoe sellers, clock and watchmakers, an artist, linen and wool drapers, a chemist, a pork shop and a tailor!

The new Century brought occasions of great cheer and celebration for the people of Dawley. The arrival of Dawley Park, the Market Hall, a Library and much more were in constant use by adults and children alike bringing them all to the thriving and prosperous centre of Dawley life.
The High Street saw an array of retail businesses including green grocers, electrical stores, opticians, ironmongers, fishmongers, a cafe and many more, not forgetting Dawley High Streets public houses; The Elephant and Castle, The Talbot, The Crown and at the bottom end The Lord Hill.

A visit to the High Street now would now include a supermarket, salons, hairdressers, restaurants, charity shops, pet shop, launderette, solicitors, opticians, cafe, sweet shop, dance clubs, music centre, estate agents, fast food takeaway, betting shops, bakery, florist and many more.
'Regeneration of Dawley' saw the High Street revamped with improvements to the surrounding area, new housing and construction of a brand new sports and learning community.
Improvements continue with increased support for the High Street shops & businesses, with investment funding from Telford & Wrekin. A new Community Network Hub will create such a focal point bringing essential services out to the community breathing life to the High Street.